South Penn, that brush seater/communicator cleaner a good idea as well as the powr-Polish bar which is a very light abrasive and burnisher, and then there is the pencil-type resurfacer which is for burnishing... I did some more research and found some other options, there's Fret Erasers which are for polishing guitar parts and goes up to 8000 grit, another is some whetstone which also goes to 8000 grit... Also I emailed cratex and asked the grit of the XF bright boy and they said 250 grit...
So there are other choices that are much less abrasive...
Steve
If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!
I use 600 grit sandpaper available at my local builder supply. I think I pay about $1.99 (Canuckian, no less...) for a 10" X 10" sheet. Lasts me two or more years. And, my track system seems to be very reliable. I don't get black streaks showing up on the rails, except maybe near the frogs. My frogs are all dead anyway, so...
I recently proved the electrical and track laying on a industrial switchback on my new layout for the first time. Prior to powering it and running a Heisler to see if it could push a typical load up the 8% grade, I ran a large steel washer, rounded shoulders down, across the rails to polish them, but after a wipe with alcohol to get any fingerprints and other organics off their bearing surface. It all ran like a dream.